The Orchid Ensemble, a musical trio from Vancouver that blends ancient musical instruments and Chinese music to form a beautiful new sound, will visit Eastfield College next week for a three-day residency. The ensemble will join the Eastfield College Chorus and the Eastfield Dance Company, along with The Women’s Chorus of Dallas, for a pair of special concerts on Oct. 26 at 12:30 and 7 p.m. in the college’s performance hall.
“For the audience, the instruments, voices, dancers, set and video projections by digital media students will come together to create a concert experience that can't be found anywhere else in the area,” said Eastfield music professor Melinda Imthurn, who also conducts The Women’s Chorus of Dallas.
The Orchid Ensemble’s choir collaboration project and large-scale performances with dance, visual and media artists were conceived in 2006. The collection of original Canadian compositions and arranged traditional music for Orchid’s instrumentation and voices allows choir members to actively experience and internalize Asian languages, styles and techniques. During the concert, the Eastfield College Chorus will perform a song in Mandarin, while the guest Women’s Chorus of Dallas will sing in Taiwanese. The Eastfield Dance Company will also perform the original choreography of Danielle Georgiou, a dance professor and founder of the Danielle Georgiou Dance Group, which was selected as best dance company for 2016 by the readers of D Magazine.
The residency was funded by a grant provided by the Takis Mouzenidis Endowment of the Dallas County Community College District Foundation.
“The funding from the foundation has made it possible for Eastfield students to perform this unique music with a professional ensemble,” Imthurn said. “It is indeed a unique and challenging opportunity for them. I cannot wait for Orchid's residency to begin next Monday. Once the students are able to hear the instruments live and perform with them, I know they will realize they are having a once-in-a-lifetime musical experience.”